As feature sizes in integrated circuits approach 0.25 μm and below, problems with interconnect RC delay, power consumption and signal cross-talk have become increasingly difficult to resolve. It is believed that the integration of low dielectric constant materials for interlevel dielectric (ILD) and intermetal dielectric (IMD) applications will help to solve these problems. While there have been previous efforts to apply low dielectric constant materials to integrated circuits, there remains a longstanding need in the art for further improvements in processing methods and in the optimization of both the dielectric and mechanical properties of such materials used in the manufacture of integrated circuits.
Silica Dielectric Films
One material with a low dielectric constant is silica. In particular, silica can be applied as a foamed dielectric material. For the lowest possible dielectric values, air is introduced into silica dielectric mateirals. Air has a dielectric constant of 1, and when air is introduced into a silica dielectric material in the form of nanoporous or nanometer-scale voids or pore structures, relatively low dielectric constants (“k”) are achieved.
Nanoporous silica is attractive because it employs similar precursors, including organic-substituted silanes, e.g., tetramethoxysilane (“TMOS”) and/or tetraethoxysilane (“TEOS”), as are used for the currently employed spin-on-glasses (“SOG”) and chemical vapor disposition (“CVD”) silica SiO2.
Nanoporous silica films have previously been fabricated by a number of methods. Simply by way of example, suitable silicon-based precursor compositions and methods for forming nanoporous silica dielectric films by solvent removal, are described, for example, by the following co-owned U.S. patent applications: Ser. No. 09/054,262, filed on Apr. 3, 1998, Ser. No. 09/111,083, filed on Jul. 7, 1998, 60/098,068, filed on Aug. 27, 1998, 60/098,515, filed on Aug. 31, 1998, Ser. No. 09/044,831, filed Mar. 20, 1998, Ser. No. 09/044,798, filed Mar. 20, 1998, and Ser. No. 09/328,648, filed on Jun. 9, 1999, all incorporated herein by reference herein.
Broadly, a precursor in the form of, e.g., a spin-on-glass composition that includes one or more removable solvents, is applied to a substrate, and then polymerized and subjected to solvent removal in such a way as to form a dielectric film comprising nanometer-scale voids.
When forming such nanoporous films, e.g., wherein the precursor is applied to a substrate by spin-coating, the film coating is typically catalyzed with an acid or base catalyst and water to cause polymerization/gelation (“aging”) during an initial heating step. The film is then cured, e.g., by subjecting the film to one or more higher temperature heating steps to, inter alia, remove any remaining solvent and complete the polymerization process, as needed. Other curing methods include subjecting the film to radiant energy, e.g., ultraviolet, electron beam, microwave energy, and the like.
Co-owned application Ser. Nos. 09/291,510 and 09/291,511, both filed on Apr. 14, 1999, incorporated by reference herein, provide silicon-based precursor compositions and methods for forming nanoporous silica dielectric films by degrading or vaporizing one or more polymers or oligomers present in the precursor composition. Co-owned application Ser. No. 09/566,287, filed on May 5, 2000, provides silicon-based precursor compositions and methods for forming nanoporous silica dielectric films by degrading or vaporizing one or more compounds or polymers present in the precursor composition. U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,263 describes forming a nanoporous silica dielectric film on a substrate, e.g., a wafer, by applying a composition comprising decomposable polymer and organic polysilica i.e., including condensed or polymerized silicon polymer, heating the composition to further condense the polysilica, and decomposing the decomposable polymer to form a porous dielectric layer.
Processes for application of precursor to a substrate, aging, curing, planarization, and rendering the film(s) hydrophobic are described, for example, by co-owned U.S. Ser. No., 09/392,413, filed on Sep. 9, 1999, Ser. No. 09/054,262, filed on Apr. 3, 1998, and Ser. No. 09/140,855, filed on Aug. 27, 1998, among others.
Semiconductor Manufacturing Processes Remove Hydrophobic Groups
Undesirable properties result when the silica-based materials, such as the nanoporous silica dielectric films mentioned herein, form nanoporous films with surfaces, including surfaces of the pore structures, that contain silanol groups. Silanols, and the water that they can adsorb from the air are highly polarizable in an electric field, and thus will raise the dielectric constant of the film.
To make nanoporous films substantially free of silanols and water, one of two strategies is employed.                (A). In one method, an organic reagent, i.e., a surface modification agent, such as hexamethyldisilazane or methyltriacetoxysilane, is optionally introduced into the pores of the film to add organic, hydrophobic capping groups, e.g., trimethylsilyl groups.        (B) Films are produced from precursor compositions comprising starting reagents or precursors that advantageously produce hydrophobic silica dielectric films without further processing.        
These processes are described, e.g., by co-owned U.S. Ser. No. 09/378,705, filed on Aug. 23, 1999, Ser. No. 09/140,855, filed on Aug. 27, 1998, Ser. Nos. 09/234,609 and 09/235,186, both filed on Jan. 21, 1999, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Etching and Plasma Remove Hydrophobic Functional Groups
Damage to nanoprous silica dielectric films during during semiconductor manufacturing processes results from the application of aggressive plasmas and/or etching reagents to etch trenches and vias into dielectric films. Plasmas are also used to remove photoresist films during fabrication of semiconductor devices (hereinafter referred to generally as intergrated circuits or “ICs”. The plasmas used are typically composed of the elements oxygen, fluorine, hydrogen or nitrogen (in the form of free atoms, ions and/or radicals).
Dielectric films which are exposed to these plasmas during trench, via, etch and/or photoresist removal are easily degraded or damaged. Porous dielectric films have a very high surface area and are therefore particularly vulnerable to plasmas damage. In particular, silica based dielectric films which have organic content (such as methyl groups bonded to Si atoms) are readily degraded by oxygen plasmas. The organic group is oxidized into CO2 and a silanol or Si—OH group remains on the dielectric surface where the organic group formerly resided. Porous silica films depend on such organic groups (on pore surfaces) to remain hydrophobic. Loss of the hydrophobicity makes the dielectric constant rise (the low dielectric constant of such films is the key desired property of such materials).
Wet chemical treatments are also used in IC production for the purpose of removing residues leftover after trench or via etching. The chemicals used are often so aggressive they will attack and remove organic groups in silica based dielectric films, especially porous silica films. Again, this damage will cause the films to lose their hydrophobicity. Wet chemical etchants include, for example, amides, such as N-methylpyrrolidinone, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide,; alcohols such as ethanol and 2-propanol; alcoholamines such as ethanolamine; amines such as triethylamine; diamines such as ethylenediamine and N,N-diethylethylenediamine; triamines such as diethylenetriamine, diamine acids such as ethylenediaminetetracetic acid “EDTA”; organic acids such as acetic acid and formic acid; the ammonium salts of organic acids such as tetramethylammonium acetate; inorganic acids such as sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, hydrofluoric acid; fluoride salts such as ammonium fluoride; and bases such as ammonium hydroxide and tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide; and hydroxl amine; commercial formulations developed for post etch wet cleaning such as EKC 505, 525, 450, 265, 270, and 630 (EKC Corp., Hayward Calif.), and ACT-CMI and ACT-690 (Ashland Chemical, Hayward, Calif.). to name but a few art-known etchants.
There is also a need for a more rapid and efficient method of ensuring that newly produced silica dielectric films are hydrophobic to start with. Heretofore, as noted above, all such methods have employed liquid or vapor phase surface modification agents. No report of plasma phase surface modification agents and/or methods